In 2010, a task force of multiple officials from the county worked to address crime. Muskegon Police Director of Public Safety Tony Kleibecker, left, shakes hands with community leaders, from left, Jerry Riley with Upper Room Church Ministries, Rev. William Whitfield with New Hope Baptist, and Pastor Ben Harris with Shiloh Baptist during a press conference at the Michael E. Kobza Hall of Justice. MLive File Photo

MUSKEGON, MI -- Muskegon County law enforcement authorities hope to join forces against gun violence this year as they have in the past, hoping to form a number of different task forces to help clean up the streets.

The city of Muskegon’s police department is open to added patrol from both law enforcement entities as well.

That’s a great start, said Muskegon County Prosecutor D.J. Hilson, who believes a collaborative effort in the area can only be a positive thing.

“Part of the job of law enforcement is to try and cut the pipeline off the best we can,” Hilson said of spikes in crime. “Whether that’s an increase in law enforcement or street presence, those are formulas we are trying to work with."

The city of Muskegon Heights has already had two homicides already this year. They remained unsolved as of Wednesday, March 20. The biggest spikes in gun violence in Muskegon County was in 2009 and 2010 -- something law enforcement officials hope never happens again.

Road patrol officers from the Muskegon County Sheriff's Office and the Michigan State Police have worked various shifts in the Muskegon Heights neighborhood again recently as part of the effort.

The city of Muskegon is also benefiting from having shared resources, said Muskegon Public Safety Director Jeffrey Lewis.

“The relationship could not be any better with agencies than it is right now. We are all working together so good. I am working directly with the state and the Muskegon County Sheriff’s Office,” Lewis said. “To me, to be in this position, having these resources around me – they have been such an asset. We realize there is going to be crime. We have come together frequently to come up with ideas to address this.”

Numerous “sweeps” have been conducted since then and several individuals with outstanding warrants had been picked up in 2012.

Muskegon Heights Police Chief Lynne Gill would like to see more gun buyback initiatives in Muskegon County.

Hilson hopes continued cooperation will result in a slow summer for violent crimes here, noting that 2009 and 2010 were particularly bad and law enforcement officials don’t want a repeat of that activity.

“I’m hoping we’re not going in that direction. It’s hard to predict what the future holds. I think we’re taking efforts. We aren’t anticipating it will be bad but we are starting to address the issues,” he said. “We’re looking at working together collectively.”

Hilson said the county is working on two multi-jurisdictional task forces to focus on violent street crime and gun violence. Some of that discussion is still in the preliminary stages, he said.

“I can’t provide the dollars, but I certainly can provide whatever assistance they need, whether it’s assigning a prosecutor to a special task force or just being available whenever (law enforcement officials) want to sit down and discuss these issues,” he said.

Gill said he knows he has to look to outside agencies for help considering the dip in the number of officers he has on staff.

“Year after year I hear that the coming year is going to be really bad. But any amount of gun violence is bad. We have to quell that gun violence or crime in general. That’s our job,” he said. “I ask myself, ‘What am I going to do about it?’”

Clearly, Gill said, his officers plan to be more “aggressive” but he realizes filling the manpower holes at the department will have to be done with the help from outside officers.

“I’m looking at beefing up our patrols for each individual shift or team. We will have sufficient enough officers to handle traffic and street crime,” he said. “That being said: I’m still contacting Michigan State Police, the sheriff and requesting their assistance.”

Gill also hopes to see another gun buyback program happen this spring or summer, as it was relatively successful in 2011.

The buyback, held at Corinthians Baptist Church at 2027 Peck St. in Muskegon Heights, invited residents of Muskegon and Muskegon Heights to turn in firearms for a monetary refund. Payouts ranged from $25 for nonworking handguns to $100 for assault weapons.

He said police will attempt to return the stolen guns to their owners. But if they are unable to, those weapons will be melted down, along with the other guns turned in at the event, including several handguns, long guns and one assault rifle.